This invention is directed to a racing game which utilizes an energizing station. The energizing station is capable of engaging with a spring powered vehicle to wind the spring and thus energize the vehicle.
Windup spring motor powered vehicles have been known for many years. However, they still find utility in many contemporary toy vehicles. They have many advantages over many contemporary toy vehicles. Paramount among these advantages is the fact that they do not require batteries or transformers for their use. Many parents feel that small children especially should not play with electric powered vehicles. Further, most of these vehicles are rendered completely useless and therefore of little play value when the child is either using them away from a convenient plug, such as out of doors, or if the batteries have lost their charge and thus are useless.
Electric powered vehicles such as electric trains and slot car race sets do, however, allow the child a degree of remote control. With these vehicles a permanent or semipermanent track layout can be set up and the vehicles, especially slot cars, can be used in a competitive manner with a parent or a friend. A more realistic play situation can be envisioned by the child when he does not have to continuously pick his vehicle up to wind it.
Attempts have been made in the past to mimic the above positive aspects of the electric powered vehicle. Included in these would be vehicle and track layouts such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,534. In this patent certain toy vehicles are caused to move around track layouts by propelling the vehicles via an endless belt which has a plurality of engagement members on its surface. When the vehicle is positioned over the endless belt it is engaged by the engaging fingers and moved forward by the endless belt. At the end of the endless belt the vehicle leaves with a certain momentum which is capable of propelling the vehicle on the track. However, as soon as the vehicle leaves the belt rolling friction starts to decelerate the vehicle and hopefully sufficient momentum has been imparted to the vehicle to bring it back to a position over the endless belt to again cause it to accelerate.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,555 a toy hill climbing vehicle is described. This vehicle receives it momentum from a catapult-like device which thrusts the vehicle forward with sufficient velocity to climb up an upwardly inclined section of track representing a hill. As with the toy noted in the preceding paragraph friction soon overcomes the momentum imparted to the vehicle by the catapult action causing the vehicle to decelerate. Of course, friction is augmented also by the pull of gravity, because the vehicle is going up a hill.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,735,526 and 3,750,328 there are described two winding mechanisms which engage with or couple with a windup vehicle allowing the vehicle to be energized. In the "526" patent winding is accomplished via a reentrant-type clutch mechanism which is attached to a winding handle. The winding handle is located below the clutch mechanism. This placement necessitates lifting of both the vehicle and the winding mechanism off of the surface on which the vehicle is to travel in order to manipulate the winding mechanism. This type of winding mechanism is obviously therefore not suited for use with a continuous track in that if the housing is mounted to the continuous track both the housing and the track would have to be lifted in order to wind the vehicle. The "328" patent describes a winding mechanism or lever on the side of the housing. As noted in the "328" patent, to utilize this mechanism the vehicle must be placed on the platform. By so having to place the vehicle on the platform the realistic effect of a race wherein the players of the game never have to touch the vehicle is lost.